I met Kate at the Wedding Co Show last winter, and we hit it off right away talking about camping and our favourite outdoor adventure locations. I immediately knew I wanted to work with her, and was so excited when she got in touch to talk about photographing her wedding later that year!

Kate and Brendan are the most quintessentially classic, relaxed, outdoorsy, Canadian cottager couple. They wanted nothing more than to enjoy their day, from getting ready at home with their friends and family dogs, to reciting a funny poem as part of their vows, to hiring The Big Smoke Brass band to make an appearance at their reception and get a dance party going around some fantastic music other than ‘Ra Ra Rasputin’. They hosted their wedding at The Doctors house in picturesque Kleinburg, with their ceremony in the cutest little chapel, and their reception in the most gorgeously lit room with wide paned windows looking out over the property.

Kate smiled and laughed her way through the whole day, and had their guests in stitches with her relaxed and happy humour throughout their ceremony. Brendan couldn’t take his eyes off her, and is truly one of the sweetest, happiest, and most comfortable grooms I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. The weather was gorgeous, the food was amazing (The Doctors House always knocks meals out of the park), and I was sad to leave what was obviously going to be a fantastic party at the end of the night.

Jess and Harry created a beautiful, colourful Colombian themed wedding at a downtown Toronto restaurant. The Pilot in Toronto's Hazelton Lanes is a family connected business that played a key role in their lives together, and was a clear choice to host their lively wedding celebration!

I absolutely love small restaurant weddings, and this was no exception. Gorgeous colourful floral installations, beautiful summery foods, and guests in all manner of colourful dress filled the WWII era aeronautical themed restaurant. My favorite part of the wedding by far though was the reception, when Jess's side of the family brought their Colombian heritage into the day and began the 'hora loca' to kick off the celebrations. Guests donned masks, hats, glasses, and just about anything sparkly, bright, feathered, and flowy to dance the night away. I don't usually cite the reception as my favorite photographs of the day, but this one was such a blast to photograph!

Stefanie & Dave created a colorful and creative backyard wedding behind their parents house, overlooking a lake on a gorgeous summer day. The weather was endlessly sunny and clear from dawn until dusk, and the entire wedding took place outdoors, moving under an open tent for dinner, and back onto the lawn for their lively dance under string lights and stars.

Stefanie is an artist and entrepreneur at heart. With a budding floral business, and hand dyeing fabrics with natural dyes, she created the most spectacular, wild and colorful bridal bouquet. Her dress was a beautiful flow-y number from Blush by Hayley Paige, and she wore a comfortable and stylish pair of brown leather ankle boots. It was an outfit that allowed the bride to be herself, dance in the grass until the bottom of her dress had changed color, and climb all over the family sailboat to get her twinkle lights working. I loved the free spirit and creativity of this wedding!

The part of the evening that topped everything off however was when the groom's family hired a surprise mariachi band. The band approached the wedding by boat, and surprised the bride and groom out on their dock, playing their first set across the water before kicking up one of the best wedding dance parties I've seen in a long time. Complete with the fathers of the bride and groom dancing together, and a lively game of limbo played with a canoe paddle that almost everyone at the wedding, the bride and groom included, took part in.

What I loved about this wedding is how perfectly 'them' it was. Every part of the day was relaxed, easygoing, and creative. Their color and joy was contagious to all the guests present, families came together beautifully in happiness, and everyone sported retro white wayfarer sunglasses during the sunny ceremony. Take a look through for a wedding that blended different families, cultures, and styles into a beautiful and joyous mix that will bring a smile to your face.

I'm continuing my sneak peek series from this summers' weddings so far because I'm soooo excited to share the photographs but can't manage to keep up with full blog posts (stay tuned this winter!). Today I have some sneak peek photographs to share from Susie and Tristan's beautiful, intimate, and emotional wedding at their family farm just outside of Toronto. Highlights include the most beautifully colourful wedding you'll see all season, the sweetest first look ever, a whole pack of cute wedding kids, the most love I've ever photographed between two best friends, and an absolutely stunning bride and groom. Also, I had to include the first film image because it looks like a painting with a little bit of soft blur as she twirled, I'm in love. Enjoy!